Fire beat Minnesota Stars 3-1

The start of the MLS season is still a week away for the Fire, but Dominic Oduro and Patrick Nyarko are already on the same wavelength.

The front-liners from Ghana combined on the game's opening goal as the Fire claimed a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Stars in their exhibition finale Friday on the Toyota Park practice turf.

Oduro fielded a pass from Nyarko around the 19-minute mark and sent a short shot past goalie Matt Van Oekel.

"We have a great chemistry, we're always communicating," Oduro said. "He knew I was going to be in the box and I knew he was going to get it in the box. It's a matter of reading off each other and we did that pretty well."

The Fire then added second half goals from Daniel Paladini and Orr Barouch on almost identical plays.

Paladini's tally in the 66th minute came off a pass down the end line from Marco Pappa. Barouch scored in the 80th minute when newcomer Federico Puppo lined a similar pass.

The Stars broke the shutout in the 88th minute when Connor Tobin beat newly signed backup goalie Paolo Tornaghi, who played the second half.

Fire coach Frank Klopas was pleased with the victory over the NASL team, but said his club had issues at the start and end.

"In the beginning we were slow with our ball movement, but then obviously we picked up," he said. "And at the end, giving up a soft goal like that ? I wasn't happy with the last 10 minutes and how we finished up."

The Fire open Saturday against expansion Impact in Montreal and kick off their home schedule March 24 against Philadelphia.